New registrations of alternative-fuel passenger carshttp://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/term-034-new-registrations-of-2
No publisherpassenger carsalternative fuelsterm 0342016/12/01 10:28:03 GMT+1Data VisualizationElectric vehicles: moving towards a sustainable mobility systemhttp://www.eea.europa.eu/articles/electric-vehicles-moving-towards-a
Modern society depends on the movement of goods and people, but our current transport systems have negative impacts on human health and the environment. We spoke to Magdalena Jóźwicka, project manager of an upcoming report on electric vehicles, about the environmental advantages and challenges of using electricity as an alternative to conventional fuels for vehicles.What types of electric vehicles are used around Europe nowadays?

There are a number of different types these days. When we talk about passenger vehicles we can distinguish between pure battery electric vehicles – powered by an electric motor only – as well as different types of plug-in hybrid cars that have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

Other types of vehicles can also run on electricity. On the road we see more and more electric bicycles, vans and buses being used. As for other modes of transport we also have railway engines, water-borne ferries, ships and small boats.

How common are electric vehicles across Europe?

Each year we see more and more electric passenger cars being sold, both pure battery vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Last year, around 150 000 new electric vehicles were sold in the EU. Although sales are increasing rapidly in percentage terms, they still constitute a small fraction of overall sales, just 1.2 % in 2015. And we estimate that only around 0.15 % of vehicles on the road are electric. Or put in another way, just one out of every 700 passenger cars. One important country to mention is Norway, which leads the way in terms of electric car sales. Last year, around 34 000 new electric vehicles were sold there – corresponding to one in five of all new cars.

What is the European policy on electric vehicles?

The EU is committed to decarbonising its transport system and supporting alternatives to conventional combustion engine technologies and fuels. Electric vehicles are just one element. Some policies encourage the development of renewable fuels and electricity; while others aim at the infrastructure needed for electric vehicles such as recharging points across Europe. Specific pieces of legislation set targets for how much carbon dioxide (CO2) new vehicles can emit per kilometre. These have helped incentivise manufacture of low emitting vehicles including electric cars.

Why is it important to incorporate electric vehicles in the car fleet?

Use of fossil fuels in transport harms the local air quality and our climate. This happens through exhaust emissions of CO2 and harmful air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Road traffic is also by far the main source of noise across Europe. Clearly, incorporating electric vehicles in the fleet can significantly reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution, particularly if the electricity used comes from renewable sources. But even when electricity is generated from fossil fuels, the urban environment can still benefit from a switch to electric vehicles when considering reduced local air pollution and noise levels.

Why are electric vehicles more widespread in some countries than others?

Almost all countries are doing something to promote electric vehicles, but relatively few countries have successfully achieved large increases in sales. For example, ninety percent of new electric vehicles were sold in just six EU Member States in 2015 – that is Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Norway, mentioned earlier, is a frontrunner in this field and a good example of a country that uses a complete package of incentives. One of the most effective measures seems to be purchase subsidies that make the price of electric vehicles similar to conventional cars. Other incentives include reduced cost of ownership such as annual tax reduction or free charging, free parking or use of bus lanes for electric cars.

What challenges lie ahead?

The technology still needs to improve in several ways for consumers to embrace electromobility more broadly. For example, the driving range needs to be longer and the charging speed quicker. Currently, it takes 20-30 minutes to charge a vehicle for a 100 km drive at the fastest charging stations. We also need a better infrastructure making public charging points as common as conventional fuelling stations and expand renewable energy generation capacity to fully take advantage of the benefits of electromobility. Electric vehicles are also more expensive than conventional vehicles.

It is also important to note that simply replacing conventional vehicles with electric ones won’t solve many of the problems we associate with transport. While it can help reduce GHG emissions, air pollution and noise, electric vehicles won’t solve other problems such as congestion or demand for new road infrastructure and parking spaces. To make transport truly sustainable, we as a society need to rethink our whole mobility system looking at innovative ways of reducing our reliance on vehicles. This can include changes such as using car sharing schemes, developing better public transport infrastructure and increasing the use of low- or zero-emission transport modes.

What does the EEA do on electric vehicles?

Looking ahead, we will publish two publications on electric vehicles this autumn: a guide summarising the current state of knowledge on electric vehicles in Europe, and a short forward-looking briefing on some of the potential impacts on the energy system and the environment associated with a hypothetical large-scale uptake of electric vehicles by 2050.

Magdalena Jóźwicka

]]>No publishernoisemobilityclimate changeurban air qualityroad transportincentiveselectric vehiclesfossil fuelselectric carstransport infrastructurepassenger carstransport modestransport noisecarbon dioxideair pollutiontransitionszero-emission2016/09/15 11:30:00 GMT+1ArticleMonitoring of CO2 emissions from passenger cars – Regulation 443/2009http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/co2-cars-emission-10
The Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 requires Member States to record information for each new passenger car registered in its territory. Every year, each Member State shall submit to the Commission all the information related to their new registrations. In particular, the following details are required for each new passenger car registered: manufacturer name, type approval number, type, variant, version, make and commercial name, specific emissions of CO2, mass of the vehicle, wheel base, track width, engine capacity, fuel type and fuel mode. Additional information, such as engine power, were also submitted.
Data for EU-28 are reported in the main database.
No publisherEEA standard re-use policy: unless otherwise indicated, re-use of content on the EEA website for commercial or non-commercial purposes is permitted free of charge, provided that the source is acknowledged (http://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright). Copyright holder: Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG-CLIMA).co2 emissionspassenger carsroad transportcars2016/04/14 10:55:00 GMT+1DataReported CO2 emissions from new cars continue to fallhttp://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/reported-co2-emissions-from-new
Emissions from official testing reported by national authorities show that new cars sold in the European Union (EU) are increasingly more fuel-efficient. Last year, new passenger cars emitted on average 119.6 grammes (g) of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre, 8% below the official EU target set for 2015, according to provisional data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).In 2015, the average CO2 emissions of a new car sold was 3% lower than in the previous year, according to provisional data . Since 2010, when monitoring started under current legislation, official emissions have decreased by more than 20 g CO2/km. The EU already met its 2015 target of 130 g CO2/km in 2013, two years ahead of schedule. A second official target of 95 g CO2/km has to be met by 2021.

Key findings

New cars sold in 2015 emitted on average 119.6 g CO2/km, more than 10 g CO2/km below the 2015 target, according to reported emissions.

Sales of new passenger cars in the EU increased in 2015 compared to the previous year. A total of 13.7 million new cars were registered, representing an increase of 9% compared to 2014. Registrations increased in all EU Member States except Luxembourg and Slovenia.

The average mass of new cars sold in the EU (1 381 kg) remained broadly the same as in 2014. The mass of a vehicle is a key factor affecting emissions. On average, the heaviest cars were sold in Sweden and Luxembourg (1 530 kg and 1 496 kg respectively) whereas Maltese, Danish and Greek buyers preferred lighter cars (1 199, 1 233 and 1 260 kg respectively). The average diesel vehicle sold was 311 kg heavier than the average petrol vehicle.

The least fuel-efficient cars were bought in Estonia and Latvia (137 g CO2/km) followed by Bulgaria (130 g CO2/km). For all remaining Member States, the average emission levels were below 130 g CO2/km. As seen in 2014, the Netherlands (101.2 g CO2/km) was the country that registered the most efficient new cars. Portugal and Denmark followed with new cars emitting on average 106 g CO2/km.

Diesel cars remain the most sold vehicles in the EU, constituting 52% of sales. As in past years, the countries with the highest proportions of diesel sales include Ireland and Luxembourg (71%), Portugal (69%), and Croatia, Greece and Spain (63%).

The average fuel efficiency of petrol cars (122.6 g CO2/km) has been catching up with the fuel-efficiency of diesel cars (119.2 g CO2/km) in recent years.

Sales of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles continued to increase. The relative share of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicle sales was highest in the Netherlands and Denmark, reaching 12% and 8 % respectively of national car sales in 2015. However, sales of such vehicles still remain a small fraction of total sales, accounting for just 1.3 % of all new EU cars sold.

Around 57 000 pure battery-electric vehicles were registered in 2015, a 50% increase compared to 2014. The largest number of registrations were recorded in France (more than 17 650 vehicles), Germany (more than 12 350 vehicles) and the UK (more than 9 900 vehicles).

EEA activities

The EEA collects and regularly makes available data on new passenger vehicles registered in Europe, in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 443/2009. The data reported by all Member States in order to evaluate the efficiency of the new vehicle fleet includes information on CO2 emissions and vehicle weight.

It has not yet been confirmed whether different manufacturers have met their own specific annual targets, based on the average weight of the cars they sell. The EEA will publish the final data on manufacturers’ individual performances in the autumn.

Testing vehicle emissions

Member States report new vehicles’ CO2 emission levels, measured under standardised laboratory conditions, following the requirements of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test procedure. This procedure is designed to allow a comparison of emissions for different manufacturers. However, there is now wide recognition that the NEDC test procedure, dating from the 1970s, is out-dated and does not necessarily represent real-world driving conditions and emissions due inter alia to a number of flexibilities that allow vehicle manufacturers to optimise the conditions under which their vehicles are tested. The EEA has recently published a non-technical guide explaining the key reasons for the differences observed between official and real world driving emissions.

Recognising these shortcomings, in January 2016 the European Commission proposed a number of changes to the current vehicle type-approval framework. A new procedure known as the ‘Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure’ (WLTP) will also be introduced in the future so that laboratory results better represent actual vehicle performance on the road. However, the date of its introduction remains to be decided.

]]>No publisherco2 emissionspetrolpassenger carsdieselelectric carsclimate change mitigationfuel efficiency2016/04/14 10:55:00 GMT+1NewsNew registrations of alternative fuel passenger carshttp://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/term-034-new-registrations-of-1
No publisherpassenger carsalternative fuelsterm 0342016/03/09 16:20:02 GMT+1Data VisualizationMonitoring CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans in 2014http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/monitoring-emissions-cars-and-vans
This report provides an overview of the performance of car and van manufacturers in meeting their 2014 CO2 emission targets. In order to evaluate the progress that manufacturers are making towards their targets, the EEA has collected and quality checked data on CO2 emissions from passenger cars and vans registered in all EU Member States since 2010. The reported CO2 emissions data presented in this report are based on measurements performed in the laboratory using a standard European vehicle test cycle. Such measurements may not reflect real-world driving performance.No publisherco2 emissionsvanspassenger carscar ghg emissions2015/11/26 10:30:00 GMT+1PublicationCO2 emissions from new vehicles in Europe continued to decrease in 2014http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/co2-emissions-from-new-vehicles
Vehicles sold in the European Union in 2014 were, on average, 2.5% more efficient than those sold the previous year, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The report, which updates the preliminary data published earlier this year, tracks progress towards CO2 emission targets for new passenger cars and vans.According to the EEA report Monitoring CO2 emissions from passenger cars and vans in 2014, the average emissions of a new car sold in 2014 were 123.4 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g CO2/km), significantly below the 2015 target of 130 g CO2/km set for the EU as a whole. Similarly, the average emissions from vans sold in 2014 were 169.1 g CO2/km, below the 2017 limit of 175 g CO2/km. Compliance with the EU fleet average targets is verified against the specific emissions targets set for each car and van manufacturer. The report shows that almost all manufacturers achieved their individual emissions targets set for 2014.

Key findings

In 2014, 12.5 million new passenger cars and 1.5 million vans were sold. Of these, diesel vehicles remained the most sold vehicles in Europe, constituting 53% of car sales and 97% of van sales.

In 2014, an average diesel car emitted 123.2 g CO2/km, just 2.5 g CO2/km less than an average petrol car.

Of the individual car manufacturers, Renault had the lowest average CO2 emissions (108 g CO2/km) for new passenger vehicles registered in 2014. Renault also had the highest percentage of vehicles with emissions below 95 g CO2/km (34%).

Seventy percent of Toyota passenger vehicle sales in Europe were petrol cars with very low average emissions (110 g CO2/km).

Nissan has made the greatest improvement between 2013 and 2014. The average emissions from their passenger vehicles have decreased by almost 16 g CO2/km. This good performance relates to an increased number of electric vehicles in the share of new cars sold, as well as sales of smaller vehicles and the improved performance of conventional vehicles.

Future developments in vehicle emission measurements

The CO2 emissions reported to the EEA are based on exhaust measurements performed under standardised laboratory conditions, following the requirements of the New European Driving Cycle test procedure. This cycle allows a comparison of emissions by manufacturers, but it does not necessarily represent real-world driving conditions. A new procedure known as the ‘Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure’ (WLTP) has been developed so that laboratory results may in the future better represent actual vehicle performance on the road. However, the introduction date of this new procedure in the EU is not yet agreed.

Caveat

Since finalisation of the EEA report and underpinning datasets, Volkswagen Group has publicly confirmed that the CO2 emission values it has published for some models are incorrectly stated. The company is presently reviewing which models are specifically affected. This report documents the latest official data submitted by Member States and vehicle manufacturers. However it is not possible to assess at this stage the extent to which incorrect data from vehicle manufacturers may alter the analysis and conclusions.

Links

]]>No publisherautomobile manufacturercar ghg emissionspetrolpassenger carsdieselco2 emissionslight commercial vehiclesfuel efficiency2015/11/26 10:30:00 GMT+1NewsAverage carbon dioxide emissions from new passenger cars http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/average-emissions-for-new-cars
No publisherco2 emissionspassenger cars2014/04/15 10:04:10 GMT+1Data VisualizationEvolution of CO2 emissions from new passenger cars by fuel typehttp://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/evolution-of-co2-emissions-from-1
Graph showing progression of average emissions for new cars versus 2015 and 2020 targetsNo publisherEEA standard re-use policy: unless otherwise indicated, re-use of content on the EEA website for commercial or non-commercial purposes is permitted free of charge, provided that the source is acknowledged (http://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright). Copyright holder: European Environment Agency (EEA).co2 emissionsco2fuelspassenger cars2013/04/30 12:25:45 GMT+1FigureAir legislation in Europehttp://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2013/articles/air-legislation-in-europe
Air pollution is not the same everywhere. Different pollutants are released into
the atmosphere from a wide range of sources. Once in the atmosphere, they
can transform into new pollutants and spread around the world. Designing and
implementing policies to address this complexity are not easy tasks. Below is an
overview of air legislation in the European Union.The amount of pollutants emitted into the air we breathe has been greatly reduced since the EU introduced policies and measures concerning air quality in the 1970s. Air pollution emissions from many of the major sources including transport, industry, and power generation are now regulated and are generally declining, albeit not always to the extent envisaged.

Targeting pollutants

One way that the EU has achieved this improvement is by setting legally binding and non-binding limits for the whole Union for certain pollutants dispersed in the air. The EU has set standards for particulate matter (PM) of certain sizes, ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, and other pollutants that may have a detrimental effect on human health or ecosystems. Key pieces of legislation that set pollutant limits across Europe include the 2008 Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (2008/50/EC), and the 1996 Framework Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management (96/62/EC).

Another approach to legislating for improvements to air quality is through the setting of national annual emission limits for specific pollutants. In these cases, countries are responsible for introducing the measures needed to ensure that their emission levels are below the ceiling set for the relevant pollutant.

The Gothenburg Protocol to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), and the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC) both set annual emissions limits for European countries on air pollutants, including those pollutants responsible for acidification, eutrophication, and ground-level ozone pollution. The Gothenburg Protocol was revised in 2012. And the National Emissions Ceilings Directive is up for review and revision in 2013.

Targeting sectors

In addition to setting air quality standards for specific pollutants and annual country-level ceilings, European legislation is also designed to target particular sectors that act as sources of air pollution.

Emissions of air pollutants from the industrial sector are regulated, by among others, the 2010 Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) and the 2001 Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from Large Combustion Plants (2001/80/EC).

Vehicle emissions have been regulated through a series of performance and fuel standards, including the 1998 Directive relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (98/70/EC) and vehicle emission standards, known as the Euro standards.

The Euro 5 and 6 standards cover emissions from light vehicles including passenger cars, vans, and commercial vehicles. The Euro 5 standard came into force on 1 January 2011, and requires all new cars covered by the legislation to emit less particulates and nitrogen oxides than the limits set. Euro 6, which will enter into force in 2015, will impose stricter limits on nitrogen oxides emitted by diesel engines.

There are also international agreements concerning the emissions of air pollutants in other areas of transportation, such as the International Maritime Organization’s 1973 Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), with its additional protocols, which regulate sulphur dioxide emissions from shipping.

(c) Javier Arcenillas, ImaginAIR/EEA

"Although fortunately there are still places in Romania almost wild and spectacular, where nature is unstained by the hand of man, in more urbanized areas there is an obvious ecological problem."Javier Arcenillas, Spain

Putting the pieces together

A pollutant is usually regulated by more than one piece of legislation. Particulate matter, for example, is directly addressed by three European legal measures (Directives on ambient air quality and emissions of air pollutants, and the Euro limits on road vehicle emissions) and two international conventions (LRTAP and MARPOL). Some of the PM precursors are tackled by other legal measures.

The implementation of these laws are also spread over a period of time and achieved in stages. For fine particles, the air quality directive sets 25 μg/m3 as a ‘target value’ to be met by 1 January 2010. The same threshold is set to become a ‘limit value’ by 2015, entailing additional obligations.

For some sectors, air policies might first cover certain pollutants in limited parts of Europe. In September 2012, the European Parliament adopted the revisions that brought the EU’s standards on sulphur emissions by ships in line with the International Maritime Organization’s standards from 2008. By 2020, the sulphur limit will be 0.5 % in all the seas around the EU.

For the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel in so-called ‘Sulphur Emission Control Areas’, the European Parliament set an even stricter sulphur limit of 0.1 % by 2015. Considering that standard marine fuel contains 2 700 times more sulphur than conventional diesel for cars, it is clear that this legislation gives strong reasons to the shipping sector to develop and use cleaner fuels.

Implementation on the ground

Current European air-quality legislation is based on the principle that EU Member States divide their territories into a number of management zones in which countries are required to assess air quality using measurement or modelling approaches. Most big cities are declared to be such zones. If air‑quality standards are exceeded in a zone, the Member State has to report to the European Commission and explain the reasons.

The countries are then required to develop local or regional plans describing how they intend to improve the air quality. They could for example establish so-called low-emission zones that restrict access for more polluting vehicles. Cities can also encourage a shift in transport to less polluting modes including walking, cycling, and public transport. They can also ensure that industrial and commercial combustion sources are fitted with emission‑control equipment, according to the latest, best-available technology.

Research is also critical. Not only does research offer us new technologies, it also improves our knowledge of air pollutants and their negative effects on our health and ecosystems. Integrating the latest knowledge into our laws and actions will help us to continue to improve Europe’s air.